NEW YORK | Greenpoint Landing | 10+ Towers | 400 FT+
 

Was digging around for other things when I stumbled upon a trove of renderings... thus, my new article!

full article (facts/figures/renderings):

http://newyorkyimby.blogspot.com/201...reenpoint.html

http://www.handelarchitects.com/imag...eenpoint/4.jpg

image via Handel

I remember those massing renderings before, but haven't seen any detailed like the ones here, which still seem early. The Greenpoint waterfront was
specifically rezoned for such developments. Things have changed more along the east river since this early proposal, most notably the Hunters Point
development directly to the north. In 5 - 10 years, the combined east river skyline of Brooklyn/Queens will be impressive in its own right.

resized
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/141934278/large.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/141934279/large.jpg



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Another rendering from....
http://www.ckdllc.com/?p=417

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/141934281/original.jpg

Bringing a little bit of Miami to New York.:cool:

looks like dubai!

:tup:

I could be completely wrong here, but will the the Hunters Point South development happen basically on the other side of that Calatrava looking pedestrian bridge?

Yes. It's going to be a continuous strip of high-density from the Manhattan Bridge all the way to East Coast LIC.

I don't think the skyline will suffer (although all of these proposals are fairly bland) as the buildings will make nice filler. I think we will see several proposals in the 700'+ range getting built in DoBro and downtown LIC by the 2020s, so the riverfront skyline will essentially make for a nice foreground...

This project faces Newtown Creek, which emits "strange orders" for decades does it not? I think somebody better clean up the creek first, before anyone would want to to live there. Just my opnion.


http://www.youtube.com/user/NYBOY75

The Creek itself has been undergoing a transformation with the new parks and wasteplant upgrade...

http://www.dnainfo.com/20120222/will...ly-operational


NYCviaRachel

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7069/6...254bd180_b.jpg



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For comparison, the Hunter's Point master plan...

http://www.bluemelon.com/photo/18602...6-T1200800.jpg

Just a thought: all these bland new proposals represent a larger shift of investment into the area. As property values in the area go up, developers seeking a status boost (and looking to take advantage of what are arguably the best panoramic views in the entire metro region) will build more daring architecture. LIC has only recently become a highrise place.

Don't expect anything like 432 Park or One57, but a building like the Toren could go up here soon.

Simple but good. I liked...

Give me a skyline that stretches from DoBo to Astoria!

I love it. The entire East River waterfront in Queens/Brooklyn should be redeveloped in this modern, sexy (high quality)glass style.

Hope those are the real renders.

Newest renderings revealed:

http://www.yimbynews.com/2012/07/gre...umberyard.html

This project's scope is enormous! I can't wait to see the skyline stretching from BK into Queens. It's unfortunate that Newtown Creek is a sewage dump, but hopefully these revitalization efforts will spark a real clean-up...

I like it. Definitely not amazing designs, but for a giant development like that, it's too expected. Can't wait to see these go up together. A forest of cranes!

Not a huge fan of the Calatrava inspired bridge. Seems a bit much, kinda contrived and also looks like a wish bone. Wish Bone Bridge?

It would be nice to see a modern bridge in NYC to contrast with the old ones!

http://cdn.cstatic.net/images/gridfs...1500680b/3.jpg

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2012/1...ng_forward.php
Friday, October 12, 2012,
by Jessica Dailey

New York is on a roll right now. :banana:

Jesus... 10 new towers, 22 acres of waterfront, a marina, and a new pedestrian bridge. All in one development. The amount of development is just staggering.

That bridge is awesome. and so are the buildings.

Just the beginning of what will be massive development and expansion of the waterfront all along the NYC coastline.

The towers are lame, but could be worse. At least they're not Jersey City bad.

Somewhat the same, but it seems like there has been a "bulk up"...Very excited to see this get underway, though from the article below, I don't know what it means for one of my favorite shows.


http://observer.com/2012/10/greenpoi...-by-next-year/

Greenpoint Giant! Park Tower Group Building Two of First Ten Rental Towers By Next Year


http://nyoobserver.files.wordpress.c...10/2.jpg?w=600


By Matt Chaban
10/12/12


http://nyoobserver.files.wordpress.c...10/5.jpg?w=460



http://nyoobserver.files.wordpress.c...re-5.png?w=600

Such mixed feelings about this project. On one hand the extra residents will be a net positive for businesses in the area, investment in additional park space for Greenpoint, rid the area of huge swaths of vacant land and hopefully lead the push for increased service/capacity on the G.

On the other hand I cant help but feel anxious that Greenpoint will start down the slippery slope of losing its identity. This is a very tight knit community, one full of hard working Polish families who meticulously care for their property and neighborhood... and the new influx of young people who are looking for a culturally rich, safe, quiet, affordable neighborhood to reside in... and where it will head after this massive project who knows.

Its possible that the soulless glass filler towers are causing some of the anxiety, creating a nervousness as one imagines some disgusting, pompous architecture lining the shores... so hopefully the final designs will invoke a certain nostalgia for the area's industrial, broad shouldered past... instead of some bullshit glass 'globally ambiguous' design.

I have absolute no knowledge of the area and its inhabitants, however all I can say is that this development is taking advantage of prime waterfront real-estate - as such property should be utilized. From what I can see in pictures, I don't see how such a development would damage the integrity of the area, but would rather enhance it and perhaps make it more desirable for future revitalization more inland.

Of course post industrial waterfront is underutilized... modern NYC will never again have the need for active piers along its entire coastline... thats really not the issue. The area should be developed and should allow for more people to enjoy the community, but how can you blend this new development into the existing neighborhood identity without just saying "fuck it, slap up a series of generic towers and lets call it a day" ...thats what needs to be addressed.

Greenpoint is already incredibly desirable, but desirable for different reasons than most of the "it neighborhoods" in NYC. It has continuous stability, North to South and West to East... inland is perfectly fine, the only areas that really need any work are the shorelines and the Northern portion of McGuinness.

Well based on the renderings it appears that there will be several public access points the waterfront, parks, etc. Again I'm not familiar with this area, however I frequent areas along the New Jersey 'gold coast' that have seen some revitalization over the last decade and such revitalization has done wonders for what used to be undesirable / underutilized areas. Granted I may not be comparing apples to apples, though I can't imagine that this development would damage the cultural identity of this neighborhood.

I suppose I'm curious now as to what your ideal alternative would be to this proposal?

I don't think this is bad, and it's certainly better than what one would expect for the area. Much of Greenpoint is a brownfield site, and you have to take that into consideration before slamming this development, I think... you're not going to get starchitecture on a plot next to contaminated land (I'm fairly sure the Lumberyard site isn't actually part of the brownfield, but it's most definitely adjacent).

The Calatrava-designed bridge over Newtown Creek is a nice touch although it is generic (for his work) and I don't see it being used. Who wants to walk over a body of water--however large--that is basically a toxic waste dump?

I see the next major phase in the development of Greenpoint and LIC as involving a major clean-up of Newtown Creek and the adjacent industrial land, especially as both the Lumberyard project and Hunter's Point South come closer to completion.

Also: if you DO want starchitecture in Brooklyn, I would look to DoBro for the answer. Even the developments in Williamsburg are mostly generic (and remember Vinoly's awfully ugly plan for the Domino Site redevelopment? hopefully with the site changing hands a new master plan is selected). I think buildings like The Hub could surprise people, and the tallest Citypoint Tower could also be a knock-out if it is indeed built to 700 feet or more.

Like you said yourself, I don't think that the creek will be like a toxic waste dump for much longer. Besides, the bridge connects Greenpoint to the other side of the creek which will allow people to get to the 7 train easily.

Newtown Creek is already being cleaned. The most polluted portion (which is further down the creek, not here) was designated a Superfund Site a while ago.

There are already kayaking groups and other recreational boating uses on Newtown Creek. It will eventually be a normal urban waterway.

I would never ever kayak in Newtown Creek let alone the Hudson. Would you? That water is gross.

There are plenty of people who do and would.



There is way too much we don't know about this development, which is more than just highrises. If you say the highrises will destroy the "character" of the neighborhood as you see it, that may very well be true. However, knowing the City the way I do, where things can be different on a block by block basis, I don't see that this waterfront development would change the local to the point where the streets won't be recognizable. Brooklyn as a whole is already highly desirable, and as such there will always be the possibility of new development bringing in new people. Such is life in an ever growing, changing, and evolving city.

It would be nice to see something that creates a gradient from the small scale fine grain existing urban fabric into higher/larger/denser structures along the water. Also to have architecture that relates to the identity of Greenpoint and acknowledges the shoreline's past as a gritty industrial area. The renderings create a white washed, anywhere USA vibe, that somehow these buildings should disassociate themselves from Greenpoint and to a greater extent, NYC.

You are taking my criticism the wrong way. By no means would I ever imagine "starchitecture" being a solution for this project... or even desirable. In fact I would like to see a reversion towards more rectilinear, tiered designs utilizing materials that age and have a direct connection to industrial Brooklyn. Work akin to that of Roman Williams or Williams Tsien is what I would be looking for.

And considering the crap that is unearthed ANYWHERE in NYC, every site is a contaminated brownfield site. the contamination just varies (and yes I am very aware of the Greenpoint superfund site... but that obviously isn't stopping this development team from wanting to pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the area)

I have no problem with high rises for the site, just the placeholder architectural style which seems to ignore its context... not just that of the waterfront, or Greenpoint, or even Brooklyn... but NYC on the whole.

All valid points.

All we have are "vaguish" renderings that have been around for a while. We'll see what get's built. But as highrises, they're going to stand out, no doubt about that. Also, they're competing with a lot of developments here, so either they will go the more traditional route, or they will look for something a little more flashier that won't mesh with the current context as you see it. The way I see it, it's a massive waterfront development, and I only see the context of what is there now.

Hopefully, if the developers are smart, they will seek input from the resident in the area. Not whether these structures should be build, but to address the very points that you raised regarding "context". My first impression on look at the proposal is that they are clearly designed to make money and only money, but, there really is the potential to offer more to the area. There has to be a middle ground a win-win that satified all, it not always possible, but, I do fault people for not searching for it.

I live not more than 2 blocks from this development. I might be considered one of the "hipsters" already ruining the culture of the hood, but part of the reason I wanted to move to Greenpoint was the culture. The awesome mix of young and old, families and the feeling of a community. Something I really enjoy being part of. It'll be interesting to see how this project affects that.

The more immediate consequence will be the loss of our awesome view haha! Our building is one of the taller ones in the hood so we get an interrupted view of Midtown.

This is New York, that is used to have plenty of highrises, and not just in Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn or LIC, but scattered in many areas of the outer boroughs, So I think it is not the problem wheter they buiild highrises or not, when you talk about blending with the context.
Anyway, besides the rendering are not very detailed, they do show that there are low rises in the side facing the neighborhood, with the highrises facing the water, which I think is a good thing to reduce the possible impact of the highrises in the neighborhood.
But the most important thing, is the quality of the architecture, it could be very modern looking, but if it is good quality, it would blend with the neighborhood well. (it is yet to be seen the architectural quality of these proposals) Another thing if it encourages the mix of uses, using retail in the ground level, that it seems to be the case.
Also I think that in the part facing the East River, it would be good if they do more of an "urban promenade" facing the water, and less of a park waterfront, that is already done south, at Brooklyn Bridge Park, and north, at Hunters Point South and LIC.

That is from the architectural point of view. Socially, the problem with this kind of development is that they tend to bring some more affluent residents, which is not bad per se, it even could be desirable, as the area tends to improve. But the downside is that the rents in those areas tend to spike, pushing the old residents out, which I think is not fair (that's why many times they oppose this developments)
I know the world isn't fair, but it would be good that they do these developments, which without doubt improve the area, but the traditional residents are not forced out by spiking rents.

It was the City that encouraged the development of towers along the waterfront in the first place, but to calm all fears of changing the neighborhood, like much of the rest of the City, plans have been put in place to resist much change.


Read through these documents to get a sense of how the City hopes to accomplish this through zoning.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/gre...on/index.shtml



And here's more on the waterfront zoning...
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/gre...overview.shtml


More specifically....
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/gree...ve_massing.pdf

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/gre...develop3.shtml

RBudhu

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8034/8...13efbc88_h.jpg

wow that's an epic shot.

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2012...pment-emerges/

Opposition to Huge Waterfront Development Emerges


http://cdn.brownstoner.com/wp-conten...yer-110812.jpg

^^^ Lol! Don't they think it's a bit late for that? Groundbreaking IS happening in 2013. Why not speak up years ago?!

http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/49835

Massive New Development on the Brooklyn Waterfront Sparks Last Ditch Protest Effort


http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/.../2012/11/1.jpg


November 12, 2012
Nicole Anderson


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Oh no! It'll ruin the character of those empty warehouses and fenced-off lots!

Yeah, its funny how no one complains about sites that look like that. I do believe some find it downright beautiful compared to any new development.

just what new york needs

An instant skyline, just what the area needs. The nimbyism however has reached a new low.

I want Brooklyn and Queens to have rows of buildings facing the East River and Manhattan. So far the developers want to give us that while building parks and transforming a waterfront that's been decrepit for decades. It's not like they're knocking down hundreds of brownstones people!

Seems like a feeble and misguided protest. These towers seem to conform with Bloomberg's waterfront rezoning plan exactly. These kind of developments were exactly what was to be built. If these people had such a problem with these types of developments, they should have put up more of a protest when that plan was being debated (hmm, although they might have). Anyway, I'm sure these will be built, market willing.

Someone mentioned in one of the articles that this protester is likely someone who wasn't even in the neighborhood at the time, so this is all new to him/her. Too bad. But it's almost exactly how the city envisioned it would be with the zoning put in place.


http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/...landing_06.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/147333329/original.jpg



That bridge would be a nice touch, connecting to Hunter's Point south, a City development currently underway...

http://www.bluemelon.com/photo/882348-T1024768.jpg



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